Electronic shopping cart handle

ABSTRACT

A shopping cart handle includes a housing having a display, electronic circuitry in the housing for generating images on the display, and first and second grip portions each having a flared proximal end connected to the housing and a distal end. The display optionally includes a electronic interface that may be covered by a selectively releasable cover to protect the interface.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/675,849 filed Apr. 29, 2005, the entire contents ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an electronic handle for a wheeledcart, and more specifically, toward a shopping cart handle including anelectronic module and display for providing a user with informationwhile shopping.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shopping carts have remained essentially unchanged in form for manyyears. Recently, however, with the availability of inexpensive, compactcomputing power, attempts have been made to add small computers toshopping carts to assist users with shopping. For example, it is knownto attach bar code readers to shopping carts to allow users to performprice checks and/or to perform a self-check out. One example of such asystem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,871 to Gupta, the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference. However, the Gupta deviceappears likely to interfere with proper cart nesting and requires anelectrical contact depending from the bottom of the cart for rechargingwhich would likely be damaged in moving the cart through store aislesand/or over curbs in a store parking lot. It is not believed thatsystems such as the one disclosed in Gupta have been widely adopted.

Related shopper-assisting devices that clip or otherwise detachablymount to a shopping cart handle are also known. However, these must betaken from a rack or other storage location by a user and attached to acart handle before use. When a shopper reaches the check-out line, storepersonnel must detach the unit from the car and return the unit to astorage and/or charging station or rely on the customer to perform theseactions. It is believed that these inconveniences have kept such devicesfrom being widely adopted.

It would therefore be desirable to provide an electronic shopperassisting device that is easy to use and maintain and that does notsuffer from the aforementioned drawbacks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects and features of embodiments of the present inventionwill be better understood after a reading of the following detaileddescription together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a cart handle including anelectronic module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the cart handle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the cart handle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a first activation device for usewith an electronic handle according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a second activation device for usewith an electronic handle according to an embodiment of the presentinvention that includes a key for unlocking a slot in an electronicmodule;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the activation device of FIG. 5 with itscap removed;

FIG. 7 illustrates a slot for receiving the activation device and key ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 8 illustrates the activation device of FIG. 5 being received in theslot of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 illustrates an electronic handle according to an embodiment ofthe present invention used with a cart wheel locking device wherein thewheel locking device is controlled by an electronic cart handle;

FIG. 10 illustrates the wheel locking device of FIG. 9 locking a cartwheel when an activation device is disconnected from the electronic carthandle;

FIG. 11 illustrates the wheel locking device of FIG. 9 unlocking a cartwheel when an activation device is inserted into a slot in theelectronic cart handle;

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates the nesting of several shopping cartswhich carts include the electronic cart handles of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of several nested carts that include theelectronic cart handles of FIG. 1 wherein the cart handles areelectrically interconnected for battery recharging;

FIG. 14 illustrates a plurality of nested carts including a secondembodiment of an electronic cart handle according to the presentinvention having batteries being recharged by a corral having chargingrails;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of one end of the electronic cart handleof FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an elevational view of the end of the electronic cart handleof FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 schematically illustrates an electronic cart handle between twocharging rails of the corral of FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 illustrates a third embodiment of an electronic cart handle inwhich electrical connectors are integrated with a locking device forsecuring adjacent carts to one another;

FIG. 19 illustrates one of the electrical connectors of FIG. 18 in ahousing on an adjacent cart;

FIG. 20 is a plan view of the connector end of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 illustrates a charging rail and guide channel arrangement forcharging the battery of an electronic cart handle;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of an end of the electronic cart handle andcharging rail of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 illustrates a first cart handle grip cross section;

FIG. 24 illustrates a second cart handle grip cross section;

FIG. 25 illustrates a third cart handle grip cross section; and

FIG. 26 illustrates an alternate version of the cart handle and moduleof FIGS. 1-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for purposes ofillustrating preferred embodiments of the invention only, and not forthe purpose of limiting same, FIG. 1 illustrates a cart handle 10comprising first and second grips 12 extending from a central housing14. Central housing 14 includes a display 16, preferably a touch screendisplay, and a hollow interior for containing an electronic module ormodules, a battery 15, illustrated in FIG. 17, a circuit board, a barcode reader 17, and other functional elements discussed herein. Housing14 includes a first or front portion 18 formed integrally with grips 12and a rear portion 20 mounted to front portion 18 either removably usingfasteners such as screws or via a snap fit, or permanently usingsuitable adhesives, for example. When rear portion 20 is removablymounted, a suitable gasket is provided to ensure an watertight seal thatwill at the same time allow the unit to breathe and minimizecondensation build up in the hollow interior of housing 14.

Grips 12 include gripping portions 21 and join housing 14 at reinforcedportions 22 to increase the strength of handle 10 and to reduce thelikelihood of damage where the grips 12 join housing 14 when the handleis pushed or pulled or when downward pressure is placed on the housing14. The gripping portions 21 have a circumference (or periphery if thegrip portion does not have a circular cross section) of about 3 inchesor 8 centimeters over most of their length to make them comfortable togrip for a user. Reinforced portions 22 are flared and have a largercircumference or periphery which increases from the periphery of thegripping portion 21 to the sidewall of housing 14. As will beappreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2, the flared reinforced portion 22surrounds the gripping portions 21 of grips 12 on all sides so that across section of the gripping portion 21 projected toward housing 14will pass through without intersecting the largest circumference orperiphery of reinforced portions 22.

As illustrated in FIG. 26, housing 14 may optionally include a ratchetmechanism 29 to allow the angle of housing 14 and thus of screen 16 tobe changed. Preferably, the ratchet mechanism 29 allows housing 14 to bepivoted until screen 16 faces a child seat in the cart so that, forexample, videos could be displayed on screen 16 to entertain childrenwhile shopping. The ratchet mechanism could be provided at any pointalong the length of gripping portions 21 of grips 12 or, with a somewhatmodified housing 14, not shown, at the interface of grips 12 and housing14 or inside housing 14.

Grip portions 12 are formed to have the greatest length required for astandard shopping cart and can be cut to shorter lengths for smallercarts. The gripping portions 21 of grips 12 can have various crosssections such as the round cross section illustrated in FIG. 23, thegenerally ovate cross section of FIG. 24 and the kidney shaped crosssection of FIG. 25. While gripping portions 21 are described herein asbeing integrally formed with front portion 18 of housing 14, they canalternately be formed separately from housing 14 and connected theretoin a suitable manner. Alternately, for existing carts having handlesthat are not readily removable, housing 14 can be provided with suitableclamps or other fasteners to connect housing 14 and the electronicmodules contained therein to an existing shopping cart handle in apermanent or semi-permanent manner.

The housing and internal components are adapted to operate over a widerange of temperatures, −45° C. to 70° C., for example, so that thedevice can, for example, be stored outdoors in both extreme winterconditions and in direct sunlight in summer, and be resistant to bothmoisture and the impacts that are likely to be suffered by a shoppingcart handle. The grips and housing are preferably formed from a suitablethermoplastic material.

Battery 15 is rechargeable and should be capable of operating theelectronic modules for approximately 16 hours before recharging.

Housing 14 includes an opening 24 for receiving a modular bar codereader 17 and an opening 28 providing access to an internal I/O port 30,illustrated in FIG. 8, for example, which in the presently preferredembodiment comprises a USB port. Hardware contained within housing 14will perform various functions and provide various displays on screen 16which functions and displays do not comprise a part of the presentdisclosure.

The hardware in housing 14 may be activated by inserting an activationdevice into port 30. In the present embodiment, the activation devicecomprises a solid state storage device 32 having a USB interfacecompatible with port 30. Alternately, the electronic module could beactivated using bar code reader 17 to scan a bar code carried by anauthorized user—on a customer loyalty card, for example. When storagedevice 32 is used, information about a user on device 32 can optionallybe made available to a processor in housing 14 and/or transmitted to acentral server in wireless communication with electronic cart handle 10.

Storage device 32 can be used to receive and store information fromelectronic cart handle 10 or a server in communication with the handlewhich information a user may later access using, for example, a homecomputer. Where privacy is an issue, device 32 may merely contain aserial number to identify the device 32 to a secure server incommunication with the electronic module. In such cases, no personalinformation would be stored on device 32. This would substantiallyprevent the disclosure of private information if a device 32 is lost.For purposes of the present disclosure, it is merely necessary to knowthat an authorized user can be identified to a processor in housing 14with either device 32 or a bar code on a customer loyalty card, and thata processor in the electronic module, which may for example be inwireless communication with a server and/or the internet, can provideinformation to the user of the electronic cart handle 10 based onpreviously stored preferences.

Memory device 32 is illustrated in FIG. 4 and includes a body portion 34in which a suitable compact flash or other solid-state memory iscontained, a USB connector 36 insertable into drive 30, a cap 38 and aring 40 or similar arrangement to allow device 32 to be connected to akey ring.

An alternate memory device 42 is illustrated in FIG. 5. Memory device42, in addition to a body portion 44 holding solid state memory, a USBconnector 46, a cap 48 and a ring 50, includes a key member 52 having apredetermined shape, which is a cross in the present embodiment. Theshape of key member 52 matches the shape of a key opening 54,illustrated in FIG. 7, in a housing adjacent port 30. Key member 52 fitsinto key opening 54 when memory device 42 is used. Key member 52projects further from body 44 than connector 46 and thus enters keyopening 54 and actuates a release mechanism 56 which unlocks doors 58over port 30. This arrangement makes it less likely that foreign objectswill be inserted into drive 30 and makes it more difficult for a user touse an unauthorized device in USB port 30. Key 52 may be retractable,with a thumb slide 53, for example, to make USB drive 30 usable withstandard USB ports, such as the ports found on a user's home computer.

In addition to activating electronic modules in housing 14, theinsertion of memory device 32 or 42 can perform a security function aswell. As illustrated in FIGS. 9-12, the cart 59 to which electronichandle 10 is attached may include a wheel locking arrangement forsecuring the wheels 60 of shopping carts. These wheel locking devicesmay comprise a solenoid 62 for selectively driving a rod 64 into anopening in wheel 60 to substantially prevent wheel 60 from turning.Solenoid 62 is controlled by signals from the processor in housing 14and only unlocks wheels 60 when an authorized memory device 32, 42 isinserted into port 30.

FIG. 12 illustrates a plurality of nested shopping carts 70 equippedwith electronic handles 10. The size and position of housing 14substantially prevents the handles 10 from interfering with cart nestingwhen mounted on a variety of standard carts. In addition, electroniccart handle 10 is preferably mounted so that display 16 makes an angleof about 30 degrees with respect to the horizontal to improve visibilityand minimize glare, while not interfering with the use of a child seatin the cart or with cart nesting.

FIG. 13 illustrates a daisy chain arrangement for recharging batteries15 contained within housing 14 of a plurality of nested carts 80, 82,84. As will be apparent from these figures, each housing 14 includes apower cord 86, a power outlet 88 and a power LED 90 which lights whenpower is being supplied to the cart on which LED 90 is mounted. Thepower cord 86 on first cart 80 is attached to a suitable DC power source92 (such as a transformer connected to an AC power source), the powercord 86 of second cart 82 plugs into power outlet 88 of the first cart80, and the power cord 86 of third cart 84 plugs into power outlet 88 ofsecond cart 82. LED's 90 on each cart turn on when that cart isconnected to a source of electric power. In this manner, it can readilybe determined whether all carts in a nested series are being recharged.This arrangement is best suited for a last-in first-out arrangement ofcarts and therefore is primarily intended for situations wherein groupsof carts are connected and fully charged, overnight, for example, beforebeing used by purchasers. In an alternate arrangement, each of theplurality of nested carts could be plugged individually into a powersource until fully charged. This would allow for the carts that havebeen charging the longest to be removed from a series of carts first,over the course of a business day.

FIG. 14 illustrates a cart corral 100 having first and second rails 102each of which is provided with an electrically conductive charging rail104, best seen in FIG. 17, connected to a power source 103. Corral 100includes first and second angled guide members 106 for guiding a cartinto the corral. Electrical contacts 108 on the ends of grip portions 12make electrical contact with these charging rails to recharge a battery15 inside housing 14. The contacts 108 may alternately be formed inseparate end caps 107 which can be attached to the grip portions 12after grip portions 12 are cut to a proper length. Either contacts 108or charging rails 104 may be flexible or displaceable to ensure a goodelectrical connection between contacts 108 and charging rail 104 evenwhen the separation between rails 102 and or the separation between theends of handle 10 is not constant. Alternately, end caps 107 can betelescopically mounted within handle grip portions 12 and spring biasedaway from one another to accommodate variations in the separationbetween the charging rails. Corral 100 may further includes hinged flaps112 or similar structures to ensure that carts pass through the corralin a single direction and that the cart that has been charging for thelongest period time is removed first to provide for first in first outrecharging.

FIG. 18 illustrates a charging system integrated into a daisy chain cartsecurity system. In such a security system, nested carts are secured byinserting a member 114 chained to one cart into a slot 116 on anadjacent cart. The member 114 may be released by inserting a coin ortoken to release a single cart. The coin or token is returned when thecart is returned to the nested line of carts after use. An example ofsuch a daisy chain locking system (which does not include the electricalcharging system of the present invention) is illustrated in U.S. Pat.No. 4,474,282 to Lenader, the contents of which are hereby incorporatedby reference.

As illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, member 114 includes a hasp 115 thatconnects to a locking mechanism in slot 116 and electrical contacts 118that engage electrical contacts 120 in slot 116 to electrically connecttwo carts. Electrical contacts 120 in slot 116 are in turn connected bywire 121 to the electrical contacts 118 of a member chained to that cartwhich can be inserted into a slot 116 of an adjacent cart in a similarmanner to electrically connect and mutually secure a plurality of nestedcarts in series.

FIG. 21 illustrates a recharging system that comprises a single rail130, mounted, for example on a wall 132. Rail 130 includes a channel 133in which a pair of spaced electrical contacts 134 are mounted, one abovethe other for making electrical contact with a pair of verticallyprojecting electrical contacts 136 on the end of a cart handle 138. Aguide channel 140 is provided on the ground adjacent rail 130 to helpguide the cart wheels and properly position cart handle 138 with respectto rail 130. This arrangement is space-efficient and allows for therecharging of a battery through a single end of a cart handle.

The present invention has been described herein in terms of severalpreferred embodiments. Obvious additions and modifications will becomeapparent to those skilled in the relevant arts upon a reading of theforegoing description. It is intended that all such obviousmodifications and additions be included within the scope of thisinvention.

1. A shopping cart handle comprising: a housing having a display;electronic circuitry in said housing for generating images on saiddisplay; first and second grip portions each having a flared proximalend connected to said housing and a distal end.
 2. The shopping carthandle of claim 1 wherein said grip portion has a first periphery havinga first length at a point between said proximal end and said distal endand said grip portion at said proximal end has a second periphery havinga second length greater than said first length.
 3. The shopping carthandle of claim 2 wherein a projection of said first periphery passesentirely within said second periphery.
 4. The shopping cart handle ofclaim 2 wherein said flared proximal end comprises a plurality of wallmembers.
 5. The shopping cart handle of claim 1 wherein said first andsecond grip portions are integrally formed with said housing.
 6. Theshopping cart handle of claim 1 including a battery compartment in saidhousing.
 7. The shopping cart handle of claim 1 including a batterymounted entirely within said housing.
 8. The shopping cart handle ofclaim 1 wherein said housing is pivotably mounted with respect to saidfirst and second grip portions, whereby a position of the displayrelative to the grip portions can be varied.
 9. The shopping cart handleof claim 8 including first and second ratchet mechanisms between saidfirst and second grip portions and said housing.
 10. The shopping carthandle of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a first housing portionformed integrally with said first and second grip portions and a secondhousing portion connected to said first housing portion.
 11. Theshopping cart handle of claim 1 wherein said electronic circuitryincludes a processor and including an electrical connector on thehousing for connecting an external memory to the processor.
 12. Theshopping cart handle of claim 11 wherein said electrical connectorcomprises a USB connector.
 13. The shopping cart handle of claim 11including a selectively unlockable cover over said electrical connector.14. A shopping cart handle comprising: a housing having a first portionand second portion connected to the first portion and having a display;electronic circuitry in said housing for generating images on saiddisplay; first and second grip portions each having a proximal endconnected to said housing first portion and a distal end; a batterymounted in said housing and outside said first and second grip portions.15. The shopping cart handle of claim 14 wherein said electroniccircuitry includes a processor; said first and second grip portions eachinclude a flared proximal end connected to said housing; and saidhousing includes an electrical connector for connecting an externalmemory device to said processor and a selectively unlockable cover forprotecting said electrical connector.
 16. A shopping cart handlecomprising: a housing having a first portion and second portionconnected to the first portion and having a display; electroniccircuitry in said housing including a processor for generating images onsaid display; said housing including an electrical connector operablyconnected to said processor for connecting an external memory device tosaid processor; and at least one grip member connected to said housingand to a shopping cart.
 17. The shopping cart handle of claim 16including a battery compartment in said housing.
 18. The shopping carthandle of claim 16 wherein said first and second grip portions eachinclude a flared proximal end connected to said housing.
 19. Theshopping cart handle of claim 16 including a selectively unlockablecover protecting said electronic connector.
 20. The shopping cart handleof claim 19 including a release for unlocking the selectively unlockablecover.